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I was trudging along up my dirt driveway on my usual morning walk, the three dogs running out ahead, when I noticed
they had stopped and were looking at something on the ground under a tree. I picked up my pace to see what they had.
I was expecting maybe a gopher or snake, but I was surprised to see a tiny owl no bigger than 4 to 5 inches.
I scooped him up in my hands at which time he gave me a tiny bite with his beak. I placed him in the V of a tree high
enough so the dogs could not hurt him. I took the dogs back to the house and got my camera. I am sure no one who has
been reading my articles is surprised at that.
The owl was still sitting in the V of the tree when I returned. At first I thought he was a young Saw-Whet Owl,
because Rochelle Frank and I have done a book about a Saw-Whet Owl. He posed nicely and didn't seem to mind me at
all. I walked around to the backside of the tree and he turned his head completely around without turning his body at
all. I took photos for about half an hour and then I figured I had bothered him enough.
Upon further examination of the photos by my "expert bird person" (Rochelle) I began to question if it was a
Saw-Whet. It's beak was yellow/green and Saw-Whet's beaks are black. The two black patches at the back of his short
neck pretty much help me identify it as a young Pigmy Owl. I went back up to the tree an hour later, but he was
gone.
The Northern Pygmy Owl is a tiny, woodland, diurnal
Owl that is most active between dawn and dusk. They have grayish or brownish or reddish (3 morphs) upperparts and
light belly that is boldly streaked with brown. The head and nape are liberally sprinkled with whitish dots (more
cinnamon or buff on red morph). On the nape are 2 distinctive, vertical black patches that resemble an extra pair of
eyes. The relatively long tail is distinctly barred with 6 to 7 light stripes. Eyes are yellow, bill is
yellowish-horn, and the toes are grayish-yellow.
Juveniles are similar to adults but with unspotted and greyer heads, and fluffy plumage. Size: Average Length Female: 7.3", male: 6.5" Source:
Northern Pygmy-owl -
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
